(RIP) Is Jack Wilson (Atlantic & Blue Note 60s pianist) dead?

[monkboughtlunch]

I have 5 CDs with Jack Wilson as leader. They are all enjoyable, but none of them are, in my

opinion, outstanding. My favorite Wilson session is this one:

Jack Wilson - In New York - DIW

Recorded June 4, 1993

With due respect, I think you've misread the quality of the performances. Ramblin' and Something Personal are tour de force mid-1960s jazz.

[sonnymax]

in your opinion (everybody gets one)

[mjzee]

eMusic just added both Brazilian Mancini and The Jazz Organs. Both seem very short (< 25 minutes each).

[monkboughtlunch]

eMusic just added both Brazilian Mancini and The Jazz Organs. Both seem very short (< 25 minutes each).

Thanks for the heads up. Those two titles have been uploaded to iTunes as well by "Essential Media Group LLC." Did they license this stuff from Warner Brothers?? I'm listening to the sound samples on headphones and both of these albums on iTunes are from friggin NEEDLE-DROPS (i.e. dubs from old records) and thus evince Lp surface noise and swirling NoNoise or CEDAR type digital noise reduction artifacts. Crap sound. It sucks that so many Wilson albums are Lp dubs! What's up the with the Jack Wilson catalog? The Ramblin CD is a Spain bootleg, also from a needledrop. Are all his Vault master tapes MIA -- or are companies just bootlegging this stuff from old crappy records since the real owners (Warner/Rhino) won't bother issuing this stuff from the master tapes?

Brazilian Mancini appears to be a poorly produced piece of lightweight fluff with little or no jazz improvisation content. But The Jazz Organs in contrast is MUCH more interesting -- I'm diggin it! But many of the tracks are very short. Why can't Mosaic do a Jack Wilson box or even a 3CD "Select" set and rescue his very best Lps and master them from the original tapes?

Edited December 10, 2010 by monkboughtlunch

[mjzee]

Another one just dropped: Ramblin'

eMusic

[monkboughtlunch]

Another one just dropped: Ramblin'

eMusic

It's another needle drop from the same company!! Massive Lp surface noise.

Edited December 15, 2010 by monkboughtlunch

[Jim R]

Forgot to mention that 'Ramblin', while stated as "Out of print", seems to be available from freshsoundrecords.com. At least you can put it in you shopping basket.

The Fresh Sound version of Ramblin is a bootleg produced in EU (Spain?) and is sourced from an Lp needle drop. There is also a mastering error as the tracks on the CD don't correspond to track numbers on the booklet.

In case anybody gets the latest release of Ramblin', I just thought I'd provide some details on the track list. I just realized that I hadn't corrected the list, back when I ripped it to my ipod, so I figured this might be useful to somebody.

The Fresh Sound CD listed only 8 tracks, when there were actually 9 (they omitted "Pensativa" from the list):

1. Ramblin' (Ornette Coleman) - 7:14

2. Stolen Moments (Oliver Nelson) - 6:45

3. Kilo (J.J. Johnson) - 3:39

4. Impressions (John Coltrane) - 3:22

5. The Sandpiper, Pt.1 (Mandel/Webster) - 3:15

6. The Sandpiper, Pt.2 (Mandel/Webster) - 6:57

7. The Sandpiper, Pt.3 (Mandel/Webster) - 2:18

8. The Sidewinder (Lee Morgan) - 3:17

9. Pensativa (Clare Fischer) - 7:32

(Also, "The Sidewinder" was apparently not listed on the original LP sleeve).

[six string]

After a search this looked like the best place to put this post. Sorry to dredge up old news.

I found what I think is Jack Wilson's second lp on Discovery. It's Margo's Theme and he does a lot of that simultaneous acoustic piano/Fender Rhodes playing as on the previous release. I had never seen this one before and it was still in its shrink wrap in really nice condition. It is made up of mostly trio but a few solo pieces and the title cut has Joey Baron on drums. I've never seen Innovations and I count adding one more JW lp to my collection a fortuous occasion.

[monkboughtlunch]

Anyone heard this Jack Wilson Trio album before? I've never seen it listed. It's a Jack Wilson CD due to be issued in Japan this month. The cover photo suggests 1960s vintage? The label says "Interplay Records." Sidemen are listed as Ike Isaacs and Jimmie Smith. When was this recorded?

The Jack Wilson Trio

Live At The Pied Piper +2

Catalog No. XQAM-1614

JAN 4582260931042

Number of discs 1

Item weight 120g

1. Soulin'

2. Impressions

3. Mercy Mercy Mercy

4. I'll Drown In My Own Tears

5. Soulin'

6. Walk On By

7. Red

8. Misty Night

9. Soulin'

Edited November 13, 2011 by monkboughtlunch

[Swinging Swede]

1967, originally released under Ike Isaacs's name.

[Dan Gould]

I had it in a different version with a yellow cover, purchased from the Bastards if I recall - on Norma Records, and recorded in 1967. Pretty short disc. Different because he's in a kind of Gene Harris/Ramsey Lewis/Les McCann bag - I used it on my first BFT and got a lot of Ramsey Lewis or Gene Harris guesses.

I dig it, but then again I was formerly known as the Gene Harris Fanatic.

[monkboughtlunch]

How's the recording quality? Professional recording or amateur? Was this released back in 67? Or first published years later? Stereo or mono? Thanks!

[Dan Gould]

Soundboard. No idea if it was released at the time. Stereo with bass panned hard right.

[monkboughtlunch]

Soundboard. No idea if it was released at the time. Stereo with bass panned hard right.

Thanks Dan! Did it impress you as well engineered? Found some credits. Looks like the legendary Wally Heider recorded this! Sounds promising.

Bass – Ike Isaacs (2)

Drums – Jimmy Smith (3)

Other [Liner Notes] – Harvey Siders

Photography – Ray Avery

Piano – Jack Wilson

Producer – Red Callender

Recorded By [Remote Recording] – Wally Heider

Recorded live at Freddie Jett's Pied Piper, Hamelin in 1967.

Found these track times on a previous reissue. Looks like the upcoming CD reissue due out this month has bonus tracks not reflected below.

1 Impressions

Written-By – Coltrane*

5:12

2 Mercy, Mercy, Mercy

Written-By – Josef Zawinol*

4:35

3 I'll Drown In My Own Tears

Written-By – Henry Glover

4:30

4 Soulin'

Written-By – Joe Henderson

8:50

5 Walk On By

Written-By – Bacharach-David*

2:58

6 Red "I"

Written-By – Ike Isaacs (2), Red Callender

2:52

Edited November 13, 2011 by monkboughtlunch

[Dan Gould]

In all honesty I only listened briefly on the PC speakers (which are better than most but not the same as what is in my listening room). But it strikes me as at least decently engineered if not better, and if there is extra music on this reissue then its definitely more than worth it.

[monkboughtlunch]

Here's the tracklisting for the CD reissue due out this month in Japan.

The Jack Wilson Trio

Live At The Pied Piper +2

Catalog No. XQAM-1614

JAN 4582260931042

Number of discs 1

Item weight 120g

1. Soulin'

2. Impressions

3. Mercy Mercy Mercy

4. I'll Drown In My Own Tears

5. Soulin'

6. Walk On By

7. Red

8. Misty Night

9. Soulin'

[J.A.W.]

Here's the tracklisting for the CD reissue due out this month in Japan.

The Jack Wilson Trio

Live At The Pied Piper +2

Catalog No. XQAM-1614

JAN 4582260931042

Number of discs 1

Item weight 120g

1. Soulin'

2. Impressions

3. Mercy Mercy Mercy

4. I'll Drown In My Own Tears

5. Soulin'

6. Walk On By

7. Red

8. Misty Night

9. Soulin'

You already posted that (your post #59)

[Chuck Nessa]

He stutters.

[monkboughtlunch]

You already posted that (your post #59)

You will note that my repost with the CD tracklisting (with the bonus tracks) in post #66 was in response to Dan Gould's observation in post #65: "if there is extra music on this reissue then its definitely more than worth it. "

Amazing that J.A.W. is quick to jump down peoples throats. Great atmosphere on this board. Thanks.

Edited November 14, 2011 by monkboughtlunch

[J.A.W.]

You already posted that (your post #59)

You will note that my repost with the CD tracklisting (with the bonus tracks) in post #66 was in response to Dan Gould's observation in post #65: "if there is extra music on this reissue then its definitely more than worth it. "

Amazing that J.A.W. is quick to jump down peoples throats. Great atmosphere on this board. Thanks.

You could have referred to your earlier post Anyway, I was just wondering why you re-posted the info, that's all. No big deal, and I have no interest whatsoever to jump down your throat, or anybody else's for that matter. Relax.

[monkboughtlunch]

FYI. Dusty Groove is carrying the Jack Wilson at the Pied Piper CD (Japanese import) ===>> http://www.dustygroove.com/item.php?id=885rcpxh27

Here's Dusty Groove's product description:

"A great little set – and one that's got a bit of a mystery about it too – as the material's been issued with both Jack Wilson and Ike Isaacs as a leader! Wilson's one of our favorite players on the piano in the 60s – a soaring talent who's known for a few key Blue Note dates, and some important work with Roy Ayers – sounding equally wonderful here on piano, stretching out on the album's great extended numbers! Bassist Ike Isaacs is best known to most for his work behind Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross during their glory years – but is also a player with a really deep sensibility – one that makes for plenty of "up from the bottom" moments that really help the tunes groove nicely. Drummer Jimmie Smith (not the organist!) is the third member of the trio – and together, the group hit a great laidback soul jazz vibe – that deeper sound of the LA scene back in the 60s. Titles include "Impressions", "Soulin", "Red I", "Mercy Mercy Mercy", and "Walk On By". CD features 2 bonus studio tracks too – "Misty Night" and "Soulin". © 1996-2011, Dusty Groove America, Inc."

Edited November 24, 2011 by monkboughtlunch

[monkboughtlunch]

The Jack Wilson Quartet Featuring Roy Ayers (Atlantic 1963) has been reissued on CD in Japan. I picked this up. It's a transfer from tape sources without any apparent use of digital noise reduction. This new remaster SMOKES the old crappy Collectables remaster published in 2000. That Collectables version employed massive digital noise reduction, sucking the life out of the music, dramatically distorting the cymbal and high hat. This new Japanese CD is the go to version and a massive sonic improvement. Highly recommended.

Available at Dusty Groove: http://www.dustygroove.com/item.php?id=b77zf4xrnf

Edited June 3, 2012 by monkboughtlunch

[Ted O'Reilly]

I recorded Jack in solo performances on a couple of occasions in the '80s, for radio broadcast. I'm trying to track down the digital masters, as his wife Sandy is interested in having a release, bll she has heard is cassette copies. I hope I can find them, there would be as much as 160 - 180 minutes to choose from.

I think the piano was adequate, and in tune, but one never knows with club instruments. (At least there WERE clubs then, and they DID have pianos...)

[monkboughtlunch]

Mosaic should do a box and include your radio broadcast recordings.

[Soulstation1]

I've been spinning Ramblin

Pretty good lp/cd